back-to-back

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

1
: facing in opposite directions and often touching
2
: coming one after the other : consecutive

back-to-back

2 of 2

noun

plural back-to-backs
1
British : a house that is connected in a row with other houses on each side and with a similar row of houses behind it
These were where the millworkers dwelt, the worst of them known as back-to-backs because that is how they were built, without intervening space.Geoffrey Moorhouse
2
sports : a sequence of two games scheduled to be played on consecutive days
Miami began to beat elite teams and was bloodlessly efficient in the second half of back-to-backs, winning 11 in a row over a three-month stretch, a sign of a team with toughness.Jack McCallum

Examples of back-to-back in a Sentence

Adjective or adverb the three movies in the series were filmed back-to-back so that the cast members wouldn't age visibly on screen the new governor was soon facing several back-to-back crises
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective or adverb
On back-to-back shifts early in that eventual disaster of a second period, Maccelli flashed some of his playmaking skills to find both Knies and Matthews, the latter for a juicy look right in front of Cam Talbot. Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025 The Rebels were held to zero points on their first two drives, getting stuffed on fourth down inside the 5-yard line and missing a field goal on back-to-back possessions. Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Oct. 2025 Central survived a pair of interceptions by Northwest defensive back Nic Curley on back-to-back possessions in the first quarter. Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2025 The Aggies quarterback earned back-to-back Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors and may get a third on Monday. Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for back-to-back

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of back-to-back was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Back-to-back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-to-back. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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